In a Dragon's Heart
by Virenn
Summary: If bearing a son to the one you love is supposed to be a happy occasion, then why is Almedha’s world so dark? When a single ray of light shines through her darkness, she finds the will to call out for it; but will it be prepared for the events to come?
1. Through the Dark

Summary: If bearing a son to the one you love was supposed to be a happy occasion, then why is Almedha's world so dark? When a single ray of light shines through her darkness, she finds the will to call out for it; but will it be prepared for the events to come?

I always imagined that Almedha's description of Rajaion's capture were just a little different than what she let Micaiah know. So, this is what I came up with. Please enjoy "In a Dragon's Heart".

Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem. If I did, I would have given the players a lot more Support Endings in Radiant Dawn. :/

**Chapter 1: Through the Dark**

Alone in her bedchambers, Almedha could only stare at the ceiling. Her heart ached and hot tears threatened to spill out of her eyes as she took in deep breaths to calm herself. Hours ago she had her child; a son, she was told, and she wished to hold him in her arms and whisper a name (it hurt her to realize that her baby boy was still nameless) into his ears as she bonded with him.

Unfortunately, she was not in the best of situations. Almedha was now isolated, and none were allowed to come near the chambers. Clutching the heavy white sheets that were draped over her body, she fought a battle to keep herself sane. Her love wouldn't do this to her, not after all that she had proved to him. _Ashnard is only bonding with our boy_, she told herself, _he will be back soon so that we may become a family_.

Almedha told herself this over and over, yet she knew that it was not true. Ashnard wasn't coming back with her baby boy, and once he found out about the fact that she was now powerless... She couldn't even bare to think about that.

"But my son," she whispered to herself, "please, let him be safe."

Ashnard would never hurt the boy, she believed, as long as he showed some strength. A transformation would make him happy, but he would have none. Branded children would never have any hopes of transformation. Magic, perhaps, or even strength with a blade would make her power-hungry lover happy. But would he be patient enough to see what abilities the boy held?

_No, he wouldn't,_ was Almedha's conclusion. Ashnard would give her baby boy a month, tops, to show him some sort of power or ability. If he had none, Ashnard would deem the baby useless and then he would be discarded.

Much like herself, Almedha thought bitterly.

But would her love give her the baby before throwing them out to the dogs? She was unsure of this answer; she was _afraid_ of this answer. All she wanted was to hold her son, and for that she needed a plan. After long, silent moments passed over, and her mind drew a blank, Almedha knew that she was hopeless.

No one would help her, and with the maids under the impression that she needed her rest, they would never dare come within a foot of her door. She was truly alone in the dark, cold bedchambers while her son was left with his father, helpless to the mood swings of an angry king.

Almedha needed someone's help, but whom? Would anyone be so bold as to answer her desperate plea?

She thought of the loyal guard who always watched over her, but soon remembered that it was most likely the order of her beloved Ashnard, and not a voluntary service. Who else would be willing to come to her aid?

Rolling onto her side, she fingered the top of a jewelry box that Ashnard presented to her as a gift when she became his mistress. Opening it, she rummaged through it without a second thought before pulling out a bright blue stone. _The sending stone is still here,_ Almedha thought as a wave of relief washed over her, _Ashnard must not have known what it was._

She remembered, almost bitterly, when she received this particular sending stone. Almedha was leaving the safety of Goldoa to explore the outside world, a world which had always intrigued her and sparked an endless curiosity, but her beloved brother Rajaion stopped her, pleading with her to stay. She refused him, of course, and he only sighed in frustration before placing the cold stone in her hand and closing her fingers around it. They stood there for only a moment before Rajaion stated, "If you ever need me, do not hesitate to call on me. No matter what, I'll come to you."

Thinking back on it, Almedha wondered why he had let her go so easily. Rajaion surely could have overpowered her, and dragged her right back to their father; but he didn't. He knew she needed to go, just as much as she knew it, and he let her.

She sighed before letting the cool stone touch her bare chest. With this, she knew who could come to her aid.

Almedha was no longer alone.


	2. A Chance Encounter

Okay, so here it is! I don't think I'll be able to spit out chapters _this _quickly, but I'll upload them as I finish. I anticipate that I'll be writing another six to eight chapters depending on how it's written. XD Epilogues and extra treats are not included in the estimate. :]

I'd also like to thank my reviewers and all of my readers. :D Thanks for liking my story; I hope I don't disappoint.

**Chapter 2: A Chance Encounter**

For some reason, Rajaion found it hard to concentrate the entire day.

He couldn't stop looking over his shoulder, nor could he help turning around to make sure that everything was _okay_. One question rang through his head over the course of the day: _what is _wrong_ with me_?

Something was causing him to jump, as if there was someone always touching his shoulder. There was a constant buzzing in his head that just refused to go away, and in his desperation to get rid of it, he attempted to sleep.

It couldn't even be called _sleep_. Rajaion was tossing and turning, his dreams were plagued with the faces of his father, sister, brother, his beloved Ena, and the silhouette of a man with mad eyes. He can't say that he remembered much of the dream, only that he was running towards some sort of goal—two objects. One was a stone that shone blue, and it had a magnificent color; it was a gorgeous sight, and had such a calming presence that his body wanted to move towards it. The other object was different—a goblet that glowed red, that had the stench of death. Though Rajaion wanted to touch the stone, which only wanted to soothe him, he found that his body jerked towards the goblet. When he finally reached it, and touched it, he felt his body burning. The heat was intense, though it was just a dream.

He jumped, throwing the sheets off of his body in an attempt to cool down. That didn't work, and he automatically pulled his hair back, out of his face. He was sticky with sweat, though it was probably the one thing that was cooling him down.

Pulling himself out of the bed, Rajaion walked over to the window and looked outside as he mulled over his dream. If it meant anything at all, then it would obviously involve his entire family, and someone whom he was destined to meet.

He laughed at himself. What a silly thought. Since when did dreams ever mean anything?

Though he tried his hardest to dispel it from his thoughts, something about it did bother him. It made him leave his spot by the window, causing him to take up a new position near his desk. He let his hand linger near the drawer, unsure about whether or not he wanted to open it.

Rajaion's curiosity beat him, and he all but yanked the drawer out of the desk; the objects inside moved with such clatter that it caused him to look over at the door. Though the noise wasn't _that _loud, he froze—as paranoid as he was, he was worried that a guard would decide to check up on him.

He soon found that his paranoia was just that, and he dug under a pile of his things to reach a small silk pouch. Grasping it with enough intensity that he feared it would break, he closed his eyes shut.

This was just another product of the day's paranoia. Almedha never needed him; why would she call for him now?

But the stone in his dream… there was no doubt that it was a sending stone—that it was _his_ sending stone. Steeling his drive, he ripped open the pouch, discarding the contents onto his hand.

Immediately, he heard the voice of his sister. Her once carefree voice was laden with sorrow and despair—so much so that his heart ached for her. _"Rajaion?" _

"I'm here, Almedha." he said. Though he didn't know what was wrong, Rajaion understood the need to be comforting. Whatever happened to her, she needed him to be calm for her sake.

"_Rajaion," _she called out again, _"oh, Rajaion." _Though she was most likely on the other side of Tellius, Rajaion _knew _she was crying. _"Thank the goddess you're there."_

"Almedha," he said softly, "please tell me what is wrong."

She was silent for many moments, and he soon feared that she disappeared when he suddenly heard her cracking voice again. _"I'm useless," _she moaned._ "I'm so useless, and I can't even help myself."_

His voice seemed to suddenly disappear. What had happened to her to make her so broken? Rajaion could tell that she was lifeless right now, while he was safe in Goldoa. For some reason, it made him feel like the scum of Tellius. _"They took my baby, Rajaion." _

"Where are you?" he asked.

He could hear her choking back tears as she answered. _"Daein Keep. Please, Rajaion, please _save _my son."_

Her _son_? Since when did she have a child? Since when was she _pregnant_? He wanted to ask, but he was unable to. Almedha needed him as soon as possible, and he could not afford to waste any time with idle chatter. "I'm coming. Please, stay safe. I'm coming to get you. I'm going to get you and your baby."

The conversation ended there. Shoving the sending stone in his pocket and grabbing a cloak, he pulled on his traveling boots before stepping outside.

If he was leaving, he needed someone to know about his disappearance. Only two people came to mind: Kurthnaga and Ena; Rajaion trusted them more than anyone in the world.

Almost as quickly as he thought of it, he discarded the idea of telling Kurthnaga. He loved Almedha just as much as Rajaion did, and he would want to come with him in order to save her and their nephew. Though he would have loved to take him, Kurthnaga was hemophobic, and would be unable to kill beorc if the situation called for it. His irrational fear of blood would make him an easy target for the tiny beorc thunder mages, which would only result in Rajaion's attention being divided between his brother and his sister.

As for Ena, Rajaion knew he could trust her to keep the situation under wraps. Ena was intelligent and calculating; she would find a way to make his sudden disappearance normal.

Rajaion could trust her.

"Ena," He called out right when he found himself outside of her door. "Let me in."

He watched Ena poke her head lazily out of the room; she brightened up as soon as she saw him. To him, she was beautiful, even though she was ready for bed. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this late-night visit, Rajaion?" she asked him.

When she looked at him with such trust in her eyes, and with such love, Rajaion almost wanted to forget about the conditions that Almedha was in. No, he would be a coward if he did that. He would be a horrible brother… "Almedha needs me," he told her.

Her eyes widened, and she opened the door wider, sticking the upper half of her body out of the room as she scanned the corridor for any guards. "What happened?"

"I'm not sure," Rajaion admitted. "But as her brother, it is my duty to protect her, just as I would protect you."

There was a thick silence, and for a moment Rajaion feared that Ena would beg him to stay. "I understand." She touched his face, forcing him to look directly into her eyes. "You have to promise me that you'll come back in one piece, Rajaion."

How could he promise her that? His mission was vague; he didn't know who he was up against, nor did he know if he would have an army coming after him. "I promise." he found himself saying.

Unable to stop himself, Rajaion bent down, kissing Ena gently before pulling away. He could tell that she wanted him to stay, but she said nothing as he turned and continued his walk down the corridor.

"Stay safe," she called back. "Come back in one piece."

For some reason, it seemed as though she knew that something was going to happen to him. Unfortunately, he knew it, too.


	3. Bonds

I want to apologize for being terrible and not updating. XD Personally, I know I love fast updates, and here I was, writing my own story and not updating it! I got a little caught up in school, but now that it's summer, I won't have to worry about that anymore. I ask my readers to forgive me and enjoy this chapter that I dug out of my computer. It's a little on the short side, but the next chapter will be longer, I promise! (No worries, I'm not about to abandon this story now!)

So, please enjoy chapter three of In a Dragon's Heart. Please read and if you find it in your hearts, review. I'd love to know what you all think, after all!

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**Chapter 3: Bonds**

Taking cover in the moonless night, Prince Rajaion was able to escape from Goldoa in dragon-form, only stopping his flight when he reached the border of the Serenes Forest and Begnion. Shifting back into his beorc form, he continued his trek through the large empire. Continuing his flight where beorc could see him was a horrible idea. Rajaion knew that they would attempt to hunt him down and sell him to slave-owners if a single person spotted him. A dragon was, after all, a rare, though dangerous, treat.

So he walked, holding onto the sending stone tightly with both hands as he got Almedha to release information about how she was in her secluded situation. While she spoke to him, mainly about petty little things that slowly brought him up to date, Rajaion was piecing together the puzzle.

Almedha, after fleeing from Goldoa, took refuge in Daein where she met with Prince Ashnard. From what he was told, the two fell in love, and Almedha soon became his mistress. Later, she found out how power-hungry the man truly was, and that he only wanted Almedha for her laguz blood.

"_I didn't mind it, though,"_ Almedha said with a soft sigh, _"I loved him. I still do, in fact. When I got pregnant, he was excited. Maybe he believed that the baby would have the ability to transform into a dragon much like myself."_

"So he doesn't know yet?"Rajaion asked.

"_No, at least I don't think so." _Almedha paused for a second before continuing, _"If he knew, he wouldn't have taken my baby away from me. He wouldn't have gotten so excited for his birth."_

"And does he know about how you're affected_?" _Rajaion found himself asking.

"_Once again, I don't think so. He _valued_ me for my power. If he knew, I wouldn't be talking to you." _That was another reason why Almedha wanted Rajaion to reach her quickly. The minute that Ashnard willed for her to transform, she would be unable to do so, and he would not be pleased. She was defenseless; she needed someone to help her.

"Please, don't be afraid,"Rajaion said suddenly, "I'll be there as fast as I can."

"_Thank you, Rajaion." _

"Almedha, I already told you that I'd be there whenever you needed me." Rajaion paused for a moment before continuing, "No matter what, I'll always be there."

In Daein Keep, where Almedha lay in her bed alone, she was crying silently. Rajaion, brave, strong, and trustworthy, was coming not only to help her, but to help her branded child. Her baby, unlike many of the other branded, would not be 'parentless'. He would grow up in an environment full of people who loved and cherished his life.

Time and time again, Almedha failed in life. She failed at being a princess, a Laguz, and she was about to fail at being a mother. But this time, things would be different. She wasn't about to fail—Rajaion was coming to save her. Rolling over on the bed, Almedha closed her eyes, trying her hardest to stop her tears. Thanks to Rajaion, she would succeed.


	4. A Dragon's Wrath

Wow, it's almost been a year! I'm a terrible person. XD

Like I mentioned before, there is no way I'll be abandoning this fic before it's finished. Unfortunately, I kind of crashed my computer, so I had to rewrite the chapter. I ask that you forgive any grammar issues; I wrote this quickly and read it through twice to proof it. c:

Enjoy chapter four of In a Dragon's Heart!

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When Rajaion finally arrived in Daein, he was nearly blind with rage.

He had held onto the sending stone with such force that he momentarily feared that he might crush it under his grip. The things Almedha told him during his travels only made him angrier. She was not allowed to see her child, nor did she see Ashnard during that time. She was left alone, with meals coming in at a set time every day.

She was treated no better than a prisoner, and it seemed that her lover did not care. Rajaion couldn't wait to get her out of there, and that was evident through his desperation to reach her as quickly as possible. _"Please, Rajaion,"_ Almedha had begged, _"don't do anything stupid!"_

"I won't," he growled. "Beating Ashnard senseless isn't stupid. It's _logical_. I'll make him _suffer _for what he's done to you and my nephew. I _promise_ that he'll never want to mess with another Dragon when I'm through with him." Rajaion always kept his promises—and if he got close to Ashnard, Almedha was sure that he would beat him half to death, if not kill him.

And yet, why did the thought scare her so? Why did she almost wish that she could send her brother away, back to Goldoa? She was worried for her life, for her son's life, and now, she realized, for Rajaion's life.

"_You aren't thinking things through, Rajaion." _Almedha said, nearly meek in her response.

Rajaion halted, eyes wide. "What has Ashnard _done_ to you?" he demanded. "This isn't the Almedha I knew. The Almedha I knew was a strong woman; she never let anyone, or anything, stand in her way!"

"_I have a son to worry about now," _she replied, attempting to sound strong once more. She knew that she didn't quite manage, and yet she wasn't sure she cared. _"You're our only hope. Without you, we'll never make it to Goldoa."_

It didn't answer his question, and both of them knew it. However, Rajaion wasn't about to push the issue. "I'll be there soon. Wait for me." Without another word, Rajaion shoved the sending stone in his pocket. There were guards ahead, barring his way into the keep.

When they caught sight of the dark-haired Laguz, they stood up straighter, crossing spears as to warn him that he could not pass. "Go 'way," the taller guard growled. "You riffraff aren't welcome in the Keep."

Rajaion snorted. Did they honestly think that they could stop him? He didn't speak as he walked closer towards them, causing them to exchange confused glances. "Didn't you hear me? You can't come here." Rajaion wasn't about to stop, and the guard looked over towards his companion. "Is this one stupid?"

"Not quite." Rajaion grabbed the shaft of the spear, pulling it closer to him and causing the guard to stumble forward in order to hold onto it. "I've got business in the Keep; you're not about to stop me."

"What are you—" the guard was cut short when Rajaion punched him in the stomach. The guard doubled over, giving Rajaion the chance to knock him in the back of the neck. The man's grip loosened on his spear, and he collapsed to the ground, unconscious. The second guard, now wary, held his spear in front of him.

Rajaion, his brows furrowed, did not falter in his attack. With a great force, he threw the spear at his enemy, watching as it struck the man in the stomach. "Intruder…" he muttered weakly, though no one could hear him. He watched helplessly as Rajaion stepped over his fallen body, hopping the gate and entering the Keep's Grounds.

Though he managed to evade the wandering guards, he had no way of hiding the bodies of those he had attacked. When the two of them were found, the soldiers began to panic. They would not give up their search until they found him, least they risk their lives facing King Ashnard. Unfortunately for Rajaion, that alone gave him very little time for him to find his way into the Keep and to Almedha.

He was about to reach into his pocket and grab the sending stone, but was unable to do so in time. "I found him! He's here!" a soldier, no more than sixteen, Rajaion guessed, was preparing to release an arrow in his direction

Rajaion took a hasty step to his right, and narrowly avoided the arrow. The soldier dropped his bow, pulling out a knife and running towards the Dragon Prince. "I wonder, are you fearless, or just plain stupid?" Rajaion demanded.

"I have nothing to fear from you," he answered as he swung the knife around in a vain attempt to strike the man in front of him.

"You're going to wish you ran away when you had the chance." Rajaion spat out. In a fluid motion, one that caused the young soldier to drop his knife in fear, Rajaion transformed. In place of his beorc form stood a massive black dragon. The soldier opened his mouth to scream, but seemed unable to do so.

More soldiers were beginning to crowd around the Dragon Prince, having spotted the large beast as soon as he had transformed. "Have no fear! We are the soldiers of Daein Keep!" One of them, most likely a captain, had shouted. Though he ordered his men to be brave, his own voice quivered with fear. "Archers, fire!"

The arrows seemed to bounce off of his skin, causing Rajaion to rumble in laughter. Flapping his wings, Rajaion took to the sky, opening his jaw wide and releasing a blast of fire. Many of the soldiers were scorched; the ones who had avoided the blast raced backwards, trying to put a safe distance between them and the dragon. "Have no fear! Have no fear!" the captain repeated.

However, what Rajaion did next scared them. He landed, causing the ground to tremble under his weight. The soldiers closest to him fell over ungracefully, looking up at him wide-eyed. Rajaion wasted no time, releasing another attack on the terrified soldiers.

He watched in satisfaction as many of them dropped their weapons and ran away, fearing for their lives.

Greedily playing the part of the 'scary dragon' Rajaion raised his head and let loose a tremendous roar.


End file.
